This invention relates to data processing systems comprising two or more subsystems with which are associated two or more integrated combinational logic units having one storage each and input/output gates for peripheral units and with which two or more control units are associated.
Systems of the foregoing general type are well known in the art. (cf. Elektronik 1974, pp. 379-395, particularly p. 381 and pp. 393-394; West German Published Patent Application No. 1 956 225; West German Unexamined Patent Application No. 2 362 245). These data processing systems may, for example, be utilized for the control of telephone switching systems (cf. West German Unexamined Patent Application No. 2 364 082). The logic and control units associated with a data processing system, as well as other units, may be manufactured as monolithic integrated semiconductor structural units, more particularly by use of metal-oxide-silicon (MOS) techniques (cf. West German Unexamined Patent Applications Nos. 2 235 430, 2 336 333, 2 247 704).
A structural unit fabricated in the above described manner has, e.g., four input/output gates and associated devices for the evaluation of addresses for the gates (cf. Rockwell International Corporation MOS-LSI Parallel Processing System Programmers Reference Manual for Microprogramming, Rev. May 1973, pp. 2-13 to 2-17 and Data Sheet Parallel Processing System (PPS-4) Rev. 1, June 1974, pp. 2-1 and 8-1 to 8-3). Full details for the construction, utilization and operation of such structural units are known, as indicated by the above referenced publications.
A central processing unit is known which, in addition to input and output gate circuits, includes a data storage (cf. West German Unexamined Patent Application No. 2 136 210). However, among other things a combinational logic unit is also included in this fundamental central unit. This might be due to the fact that it is not a unit using integrated semiconductor design.
An object of this invention is to provide a data processing system having logic units for forming data paths between portions of a data processing system using integrated semiconductor designs.
A further object of the invention is to provide for the proper interaction in a data processing system between path-forming logic units constructed as integrated semiconductor structures and control units.